Burr cleaner



- July 11, 1939.

L. M. MGGVARRY 2,165,643

BURR CLEANER Filed Aug. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In uentor flfli z arj A iiorneys July 11, 1939. L. M. MCGARRY 2,165,643

BURR CLEANER 7 Filed Aug. e, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ttorneys Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning burrs, that is to say, burrs used by dentists for preparing cavities.

As is well known such burrs become clogged with tooth enamel and are extremely difiicult to clean by hand. An object of the present invention is to provide a device whereby the burr may be quickly and thoroughly cleaned; and the invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a side elevational view illustrating the application of the invention to a conventional dental hand piece.

Figures 2 and 3 are detail sectional views taken substantially on the lines 22 and 3-3, respectively, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the assembled parts of the cleaner.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the cleaner with certain parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the brush and clamping sleeve forming part of the cleaner assembly.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the brush holder forming part of the cleaner assembly.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that 5 indicates generally a conventional dental hand piece which includes among other parts an elongated fixed casing 6 in which is journaled a driven shaft 1 that is provided on one end with a pulley 8 whereby the shaft is driven from any suitable source of power. At the opposite end thereof the shaft 1 is provided with a threaded socket 9.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a brush holder II] in the form of an elongated tubular member provided at one end with a socket H which receives the free end of the casing 6. The wall of the socket H at the open end of the socket is provided with a notch I2 that accommodates a screw l3 threaded into the barrel or tubular member 6 whereby the holder I is held on the casing or barrel 6 against rotation relative thereto. The brush holding element III is provided with an axial bore 14 which snugly accommodates a brush shank that has a threaded free end I6 that threads into the socket ll of the casing or barrel 6. On one end of the handle I5 is the brush head I! that abuts against an adjacent end of the brush holder l0, and suitably mounted on the head I! of the brush are bristles [8 ,of wire or other suitable material. In connection with the above it will be understood that the brush shank l5 has a rotating fit within the bore l4 of the holder I0 so that the brush connected with the shaft 1 as just described will rotate with the shaft and relative to the holder I0.

I At the end thereof remote from the socket H the brush holder I0 is diametrically enlarged as shown and sleeved on the enlarged end of the brush holder is a tubular sleeve l9. Closing one end of the sleeve l9 and fitting snugly on the socket end ll of the brush holder is a plug 20. Disposed within the last-named end of the sleeve I9 is a coiled spring 2| that has one end bearing against the inner end of the plug 20 and a second end bearing against the shoulder 22 provided externally on the brush holder III. The spring 2| thus normally acts to urge the sleeve l9 toward the right in Figure 4 relative to the brush holder I0 and the clamping head 23 on the free end of the sleeve 19 toward the bristles [8 of the brush for maintaining the burr to be cleaned in contact with the revolving brush.

The clamping head 23 is screwed on to the end of the cylinder l9 remote from the plug 20 and is provided with a through opening 24 which accommodates the dental burr. Also the cylinder l 9 at the end thereof equipped with the clamping head 23 is provided at diametrically opposite side thereof with notches 25 that complement the opening 24 and cooperate with said opening for supporting the dental burr and for holding the dental burr in yielding contact with the bristles l8 of the brush as the brush revolves.

It will thus be seen that as the brush revolves with the shaft 1 the dental burr indicated by the numeral 26 and clamped on the clamp head equipped end 23 of the sleeve I9, as shown in Figure 2 will be subjected to a rapid brushing action resulting in a quick, efiicient and thorough cleaning of the burr. Thus it will be seen that with this device the burr 26 is held on the end of the hand piece 5 in intimate contact with the revolving brush 18, the parts I0, l9 and 23 being relatively stationary with respect to the revolving brush 18.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction; utility, advantages and operation of a device of this character will be had without a more detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A dental burr cleaning device comprising a handle, a driven shaft extending into the handle, and a dental burr holder and brush assembly detachably mounted on saidhandle, said assembly including a disc brush member adapted to be connected with the driven shaft to be driven thereby and means axially shiftable relative to the brush for holding a dental burr in yielding intimate contact with the brush and substantially stationary relative to the brush.

2. A dental burr cleaning device comprising a tubular handle, a drive shaft rotatably arranged in the handle, a disc brush member attached to 10 the shaft, a casing slidably supported from the handle and enclosing the brush means and a guide means carried by the casing and arranged and adapted to guide a burr axially of the burr into contact with the working face of the brush 15 means and restrain said burr from movement lateral to its axis.

3. A device of the class described comprising a tubular supporting member, a drive shaft located in said member, an axial thrust member connected with the supporting member, a disc brush having a shank passing through the thrust member and connected with the drive shaft, and a head portion in operative engagement with said thrust member, a casing slidably arranged on the thrust member, spring means for moving the casing on the thrust member in a direction to cause one end of the casing to expose the brush, a cap on said end of the casing and having a transverse passage therein passing through the side walls of the cap and through the inner face of the cap, said passage being adapted to guide an object into contact with the brush and to hold said object against lateral movement, said passage having an inwardly facing open portion to expose said object to said brush.

LOLA M. McGARRY. 

